by Katharyn » Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:33 pm
Christmas in this household - this year at least - has been D.E.B.S christmas, first time we watched it.
I came to it with mixed feelings. I'd seen the short some time ago and thought it had a lot of promise, but knew that to get a 12 rating (UK) then it had been toned down some which implied not just less intimacy but also probably a younger humour. But actually it surprised us.
To answer your question (a few months late) S82v if it wasn't for the lesbian romance aspect (say with straight characters) it would probably still be what it was, a pretty decent way to spend 90 minutes. Not great, but funny in places and a good parody of its genre. Quite aside from the romance there are some great scenes with Lucy's henchman Scud and also with the least successful of the DEBS Janet, played nicely by Jill Richie.
Without the lesbian angle we probably would have missed it since it's not so good that you just have to see it regardless, but if I had seen it I wouldn't have turned it off.
To answer your actual question though - if you removed the romance entirely you'd be left with less than the short! The story is built around it.
Now, when you bring Jordanna Brewster into the equation...
I'd only seen her in the Faculty before (all hail Clea Duvall!) and didn't think much of her in that film. But she was a revelation here. She has a knack for comedy that was perhaps a little in evidence in the Faculty. Here, working with Scud (Jimmi Simpson), she really is good at the "straight" role (to his funny guy!) She looks more impressive in her action scenes than any of the D.E.B.S and somehow you can believe in the chemistry between her and Sara Foster.
Speaking of Sara Foster, she wasn't great IMHO but she was perfectly good enough and made me believe in the character (as much as you can believe in a parody!)
If I had anything else to say it would be that the other characters were a little thin, but i wouldn't want to give up any percentage of the Lucy/Amy screentime for that. And all hail a lesbian film, about spys and bad girls no less with lots of guns, where no one dies!
Also those deleted scenes should have been in the film! Is that the difference between ratings in the States? I think, even with the deleted scenes, it would have passed 12 in the UK. Shame... but we know its there don't we?
It's just a shame that the writer/director had to go do Herbie Fully Loaded to get any sort of promotion. We won't get a D.E.B.S 2 after how this performed, but there's always a Pens fic to read thats a parody of this parody. LOL.
Katharyn.
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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.
Chance in *Chance*
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